1. Field of the Invention
Novel ultrasound bandages and ultrasound transducer array bandages are described herein. Also described are methods for manufacturing the ultrasound bandages and ultrasound transducer array bandages. Additionally, use of the ultrasound bandages and ultrasound transducer array bandages in medical therapeutic ultrasound applications, e.g., for promoting the healing of wounds, i.e., wound healing, such as abrasions, lacerations, incisions and venous ulcers, are also described herein.
2. Description of the Related Art
The therapeutic value of ultrasonic waves is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,360 to Duarte describes a basic non-invasive therapeutic technique and apparatus for applying ultrasonic pulses externally on the skin of the patient at a location adjacent to a bone fracture site. The applicator described in the '360 patent has a plastic tube which serves as a grip for the operator, an RF plug attached to the plastic tube for connection to an RF source, and internal cabling connected to a rigid ultrasonic transducer. To apply the ultrasonic pulses during treatment, an operator manually holds the applicator in place until the treatment is complete. The '360 patent also describes a range of RF signals for creating the ultrasound, ultrasound power density levels, a range of duration for each ultrasonic pulse, and a range of ultrasonic pulse frequencies.
As another example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,003,965 and 5,186,162, both to Talish and Lifshey, describe an ultrasonic body treatment system in which the RF generator and transducer are both part of a modular applicator unit which is placed at the skin location. Both the '965 and '162 patents are concerned with healing, for example, bone fractures by placing the body treatment system within a cast and then surrounding the treatment site with the cast.
Yet another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,160 to Talish and Lifshey which describes a bandage assembly which is mounted on uncovered body parts, i.e., without a cast or other medical wrapping. The bandage assembly is typically wrapped around the region of the body, e.g., the leg, being subjected to ultrasonic therapy with a treatment head unit containing an ultrasonic transducer being removably assembled to the bandage assembly during treatment.
While these prior art systems provide accelerative healing of soft tissue wounds and bone fractures, none of the systems provide an ultrasound bandage having an adhesive layer with a transducer material disposed thereon for treatment of wounds.
Previous attempts have been made to provide a bandage having a transducer material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,888 discloses a bandage assembly for percutaneous administration of a medicament. The bandage assembly described in the '888 patent has a bandage member with a cavity containing a medicament and having two transducer materials, e.g., piezoelectric polymers, extending thereacross with a pair of electrical contacts disposed adjacent the opposite surfaces of the transducer material. The transducer materials, however, are employed to produce sonic vibrations in the material from a sonic generator to stretch the pores of the skin thereby inducing the medicament into the pores for therapeutic treatment.
It would be desirable to provide an ultrasound bandage having an adhesive layer with a transducer material disposed on at least a portion thereof such that the bandage can be applied to the portion of the skin at or near a wound by way of the adhesive layer and the transducer material facilitating the transfer of acoustic energy during each therapeutic application to promote the healing of the wound with the ultrasound bandage being discarded upon completion of each application.